Thinking About Buying a New Kiln

Now that I have been glass fusing for over a year, I have decided what I really need is a 14″ kiln to complement the two kilns I already have.

My first kiln was the Eveneheat Studio Pro. With an 8″ kiln shelf, it is great for jewelry and a few small projects. I highly recommend this kiln to anyone who wants to do fusing as a hobby. It does not, however, have a computerized controller on it. This makes it difficult if you are doing production work.

My second kiln is a Paragon Pearl 22 which I also love and highly recommend. I love the clam shell configuration, and with a 22″ shelf I have a lot of room to fire multiple items. It is also deep enough to accommodate some taller molds.

So why would I need a third kiln? A smaller but not too small kiln with a computerized controller would be great to do my testing in. The bigger one would be used for fusing and slumping multiple items. It seems a waste to fire up my Pearl 22 for just one piece when I’m trying out a new mold or experimenting with glass.

What I may find is that I don’t need the small 8 inch one and can sell it. On the other hand it may be useful if I ever decide to offer classes. Maybe I can find a scratch and dent model at Paragon for a reasonable price. I’m definitely going to have to give this some more thought.

(And hon, if you are reading this, thanks for supporting your artistic wife!)

I looked into buying a controller a while back. I think my conclusion was it was too expensive to retrofit with a digital controller. Also, a 14 inch shelf would be a nice size for when I just want to fire a single item. I don’t think this is in my immediate future either, but you’ve got to have a plan! Right! 🙂